Congressional Delegation Announces Over $20 Million to Upgrade Santa Clara County Buses

WASHINGTON, DC - On Monday, November 24 U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Sam Liccardo (CA-16) announced that Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority received a $20,311,640 grant for its fleet and facility modernization project.

"Replacing outdated buses with low-emission hybrids isn’t optional—it’s essential,” said Carolyn Gonot, General Manager/CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. “Government funding is critical to reducing harmful emissions, safeguarding public health, and ensuring our transit systems remain resilient for the future."

"This is a major investment in Santa Clara County's transportation system that will make our buses much cleaner and more reliable," said Rep. Lofgren. "I'm proud to have voted for the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which significantly boosted funding for clean transportation projects just like this."

“Silicon Valley should be on the forefront of tackling climate change — and that includes our local transit system. I applaud this investment in an updated bus fleet that will provide more sustainable and efficient service to our community in Santa Clara County,” said Rep. Khanna.

"Santa Clara County continues to do its part to ensure that they're on the right side of the effort to deal with climate change," said Rep. Panetta. "This significant federal funding included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will help the County update their transit bus fleet with greener, safer, and more reliable alternatives. With this investment, the federal government continues to play its part in helping Santa Clara County lower greenhouse gas emissions and ensure that our region is leading the way when it comes to reducing our carbon output."

“Modernizing Santa Clara County’s bus fleet will make our transit system more reliable while cutting harmful emissions and operating costs. I’m thrilled to see this investment coming to our community, and I applaud the Valley Transportation Authority for its work to secure this grant," said Rep. Sam Liccardo.

Of VTA’s active fleet of 440 diesel-powered buses, 112 (25% of the fleet) are over 12 years old, leading to breakdowns and increased maintenance costs. Without this grant, VTA would be required to perform frequent repairs, threatening their ability to meet daily service needs. The fleet and facility modernization project improves the reliability of the bus fleet by replacing these outdated buses. It will also help launch VTA’s hydrogen fuel cell bus program, which will deliver zero-emission rides.

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